New Year's Resolutions for Your Home

Lose Weight

Losing weight doesn't always mean going on a diet. You can "trim the fat" out of your house by de-cluttering rooms that are crowded or have unnecessary clutter. This year resolve to go room-by-room periodically clearing anything that you don't use, wear or love and donate it to charity. You will feel better and be donating to a good cause. Another easy way to de-clutter your life is to get organized and create more storage. Don't like how those DVD's look out by the TV? Get a nice woven basket to store eye sores and make the room look cleaner.

Get Fit and Stay in Shape

Exercise your DIY skills by building that new fence or re-caulking the bathroom. By keeping your home well maintained, you will not only avoid potentially costly mishaps, but you will get in shape at the same time. Lack of maintenance is the #1 cause of deterioration in home's values today. Stay up on the little things, patch that leak in the roof and fill in that hole in the wall, doing this could save you thousands down the road. Find out how many calories you will burn.

Moving Soon?

Make more money by fixing up little things in your house. Home improvements can give you up to 104% return on your investment. So don't hesitate to put in that new deck or fix up that old bathroom. If your home is sold within a year of the work, your return will be much higher and you can enjoy the upgrades while you're still there. Even if your home improvement budget isn't up for these big projects, smaller ones can also pay big dividends listed below!

Save Money and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Flip the light switch off when you leave a room. Turn off your air conditioner when you leave the house and dial your heater down to 55 degrees at night. You can also install compact fluorescent bulbs and low-flow showerheads; something as small as replacing 25% of the incandescent light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescents can reduce your total electric lighting costs by an amazing 50%. Try drying some of your clothes on the line and wait for the dishwasher or washing machine to be full before you run them. For more tips on how to shrink your bills and your carbon footprint. 

Eat Better

Can you believe that the average American family spends 175 hours a month in their kitchen? So fixing up your kitchen is a great way to make sure you'll "eat better" in the New Year. Giving your kitchen a facelift can be cheap and most makeovers are possible with easy do-it-yourself projects. Splash some new paint on those walls with a wallpaper border to transform your old kitchen. Paint those cabinets and replace the hardware for a whole new feel. You can also replace the countertops or flooring, as well as upgrade your faucet to add value to your home. Your new kitchen will make you want to rid of all the toxins and start a healthier lifestyle. Here are more tips.

Use What You Already Have

Instead of buying new things and adding clutter to your kitchen, challenge yourself to use what you have in your cabinets. Starting a new diet this New Year? Try to put that juicer and George Foreman Grill to use! Not only are these little appliances great time savers, they can help you with your new lifestyle without hurting your wallet. Don't have a use for that large-quantity appliance anymore? Consider donating it to a large family or charitable organization. Others will be able to make use of your unwanted clutter.